Jordan resigns as Hampton's police chief

HAMPTON — Police Chief Charles R. Jordan Jr. resigned Tuesday after eight years at the department's helm, asserting that some in Hampton's leadership are not adequately backing his department.

In recent years, Jordan said, he's experienced a declining level of support for the Hampton Police Division, with about 277 police officers and 97 other employees.

They "deserve all the support City Hall and the community can give them," Jordan said. "Unfortunately, over the last several years, I have noticed the support provided by City Hall and its administration has begun to wane. This has become even more acute over the past several months."

His two-page prepared statement, released Tuesday through his attorney, Timothy Clancy, went on: "In an attempt to restore the community's trust in our Police Division and alleviate the concerns of a very small but vocal minority, I announce today my decision to retire, effective immediately."

Jordan's statement said that his resignation should in no way be interpreted as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing by him or his department.

Jordan, who has been in the department for 34 years, had been embattled over the past few months, being placed on administrative leave with pay on Oct. 18 as a financial audit and outside review began into an undercover cigarette sting that has been the subject of an investigative series in the Daily Press.

Blue Water Tobacco — an undercover business designed to crack down on cigarette bootlegging — saw more than $3 million flow through its checking account over the 19-month operation. Cash generated by the business was used not only to buy more cigarette product, but also to purchase nine cars and SUVs, fund out-of-town trips and buy electronics, among other expenses.

The operation, which led to no arrests, was shut down by Jordan in January after an officer came to him with a misconduct allegation pertaining to officer spending. The Virginia State Police investigated the misconduct complaint and presented its findings to the Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, which determined no criminal charges were warranted.

An internal police department investigation continued.

Questions into the financial controls over the operation have persisted, and the operation is now the subject of both an internal review and two outside reviews — one by an auditor and another by an outside attorney.

On Wednesday, the City Council is set to hear a separate report from a Richmond attorney who had been hired months ago to interview Hampton police officers about morale and what they think about the department and its leadership.

Clancy said that City Manager Mary Bunting had not asked for Jordan's resignation. Bunting was "surprised" when Jordan walked into her office for a 4 p.m. meeting with a resignation letter in hand, Clancy said.

Bunting — who previously had expressed confidence that Jordan would return to work — didn't return phone calls seeking comment on Tuesday.

City spokeswoman Robin McCormick forwarded the Daily Press an email that Bunting had sent to Hampton Police Division employees. "I appreciate Chief Jordan's many years of service to the community and wish him well in his retirement," Bunting wrote.

Jordan leaves a legacy of being aggressive in solving homicides in the city, spearheading initiatives such as flooding a neighborhood with detectives after a homicide. Some officers also credit him with bringing the department's equipment into modern times.

Bunting told officers that Acting Chief Tommy Townsend will continue in his interim role as head of the department as a selection process begins for a new chief.

Jordan did not return phone calls Tuesday, with Clancy saying Jordan would not be commenting further. Asked if he was planning any civil action against the city, Clancy said: "No immediate action is being contemplated at this time."

Hampton Mayor Molly Ward, one of Jordan's strongest backers on City Council, did not return a phone call to the Daily Press.

After being placed on leave, Jordan showed a tinge of defiance, showing up at the next City Council meeting, vowing that the truth will prevail in the investigation.

He continued to maintain Tuesday that he's "absolutely confident" the investigations will reveal no wrongdoing. In a parting shot, Jordan indicated that the City Manager's Office and City Attorney's Office might know more about the undercover cigarette case than they are letting on.

"I am concerned that these alleged independent investigations as initiated by the city will fail to closely examine the level of knowledge various city officials have had about this entire operation, to include the City Manager's Office as well as the City Attorney's Office."

Jordan has previously made conflicting statements about how much Bunting and City Attorney Cynthia Hudson knew of the cigarette operation. At first, he indicated that they were both well-informed about the cigarette operation. Later, he indicated they didn't know much about it until after it had ended.

Asked for a response, Hudson said Tuesday she can "unequivocally state that I was not aware of the 'churning' aspect of this until after the operation was ended," she said, referring to an investigation in which the proceeds are pumped back into the operation.

Several pieces of information from Hampton officials have shifted over recent months. Bunting originally said there was an audit conducted, which turned out not to be the case. She also said a "gift" funded the operation, though it turned out the gift had never come.

In a detailed section of his press statement Tuesday, Jordan defended his record.

Jordan spoke of how the operation came about as an initiative of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He spoke out on how Hampton detectives assigned to that operation discovered improper communications by one of the federal agents they were working with — later landing the ATF agent in prison.

Jordan said that as the investigation went on, there were "multiple meetings" with the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and the City Attorney's Office, and asserted that the churning aspect was authorized by the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.

He also addressed an ordinance pertaining to the city manager having to sign off on undercover purchases, voicing surprise that the City Attorney's Office never told him or other officers about it.

Jordan said that he is "tendering my resignation with some trepidation."

"I would naturally desire to ... vigorously defend any and all specious allegations leveled against me or my department," he said. "However, I am mindful of the fact that many, but certainly not all, members of the leadership in the City of Hampton are not supportive of the men and women in this department who have dedicated their lives to ensure the safety and well-being of the citizens."